Richard Crenna
An often underappreciated actor capable of playing the heroic leading man, the devious villain, or comedic foil with equal ability, Richard Crenna enjoyed an amazingly robust 50-year career in film and on television. After receiving his start in radio while in his preteens, Crenna first gained widespread notoriety on the early television classic "Our Miss Brooks" (CBS, 1952-56), as the klutzy, nasally-voiced Walter Denton. He made small early appearances in several films, in addition to his work on the ongoing series, followed by a lengthy run on yet another successful sitcom "The Real McCoys" (ABC/CBS, 1957-1963). Crenna later redefined his career with two strong performances as deeply flawed characters in the feature films "The Sand Pebbles" (1966) and "Wait Until Dark" (1967), leaving his comedic television persona far behind. After more than a decade of less memorable movie work, combined with more fruitful endeavors on TV, he landed his most recognizable role, that of Colonel Trautman in the Sylvester Stallone action vehicle "First Blood" (1982). Crenna would reprise the role of Trautman two more times in the film's sequels, even going so far as to lampoon the role in the Jim Abrahams-directed parody "Hot Shots! Part Deux" (1993). The epitome of the working actor, Crenna remained a familiar and welcome presence on screens both big and small up until his passing in 2003 at the age of 76.
Photos
Richard Crenna
Filmography
Movies
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Out of the Ashes | Jake Smith (Character) | - | 2003 |
60% |
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The Day Reagan Was Shot | Ronald Reagan (Character) | - | 2001 |
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By Dawn's Early Light | Ben Maxwell (Character) | - | 2001 |
18% |
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Wrongfully Accused | Lt. Fergus Falls (Character) | $9.6M | 1998 |
No Score Yet |
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Professor Aronnax (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Heart Full of Rain | Arliss Dockett (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Deep Family Secrets | Clay Chadway (Character) | - | 1997 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Race Against Time: The Search for Sarah | John Porter (Character) | - | 1996 |
16% |
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Jade | Lew Edwards (Character) | $9.2M | 1995 |
0% |
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A Pyromaniac's Love Story | Tom Lumpke (uncredited) (Character) | $465.6K | 1995 |
61% |
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Sabrina | Patrick Tyson (Character) | $51.6M | 1995 |
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In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy | Lucas Constable, Sr. (Character) | - | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jonathan Stone: Threat of Innocence | Jonathan Stone (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Janek: The Forget-Me-Not Murders | Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1994 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Janek: The Silent Betrayal | Lt. Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1994 |
59% |
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Hot Shots! Part Deux | Col. Denton Walters (Character) | $38.6M | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Place to Be Loved | George Russ (Character) | - | 1993 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Terror on Track 9 | Det. Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet |
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Intruders | Unknown (Character) | - | 1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Last Flight Out | Dan Hood (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Montana | Hoyce Guthrie (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder Times Seven | Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Murder in Black and White | Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1990 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Hillside Stranglers | Sgt. Bob Grogan (Character) | - | 1989 |
23% |
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Leviathan | Dr. Glen "Doc" Thompson (Character) | $15.4M | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Stuck With Each Other | Bert Medwick (Character) | - | 1989 |
No Score Yet |
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The Case of the Hillside Stranglers | Sgt. Bob Grogan (Character) | - | 1989 |
41% |
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Rambo III | Colonel Samuel Trautman (Character) | $53.7M | 1988 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Plaza Suite | Roy Hubley (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kids Like These | Bob Goodman (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Police Story: The Freeway Killings | Deputy Chief Bob Devers (Character) | - | 1987 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Case of Deadly Force | Lawrence O'Donnell Sr. (Character) | - | 1986 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The High Price of Passion | Williams Douglas (Character) | - | 1986 |
17% |
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Summer Rental | Al Pellet (Character) | - | 1985 |
No Score Yet |
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The Rape of Richard Beck | Richard Beck (Character) | - | 1985 |
33% |
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Rambo: First Blood Part II | Col. Samuel Trautman (Character) | $150.2M | 1985 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Doubletake | Frank Janek (Character) | - | 1985 |
85% |
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The Flamingo Kid | Phil Brody (Character) | - | 1984 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Passions | Richard Kennerly (Character) | - | 1984 |
67% |
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Table for Five | Mitchell (Character) | - | 1983 |
86% |
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First Blood | Trautman (Character) | - | 1982 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Day the Bubble Burst | Jesse Livermore (Character) | - | 1982 |
96% |
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Body Heat | Edmund Walker (Character) | - | 1981 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ordeal of Bill Carney | Mason Rose (Character) | - | 1981 |
29% |
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Death Ship | Trevor Marshall (Character) | - | 1980 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Fugitive Family |
Brian Roberts/ |
- | 1980 |
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Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure | William Brewster (Character) | - | 1979 |
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Wild Horse Hank | Pace Bradford (Character) | - | 1979 |
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Stone Cold Dead | Sgt. Boyd (Character) | - | 1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Better Late Than Never | Director | - | 1979 |
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The Evil | C.J. Arnold (Character) | - | 1978 |
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Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell | Mike Barry (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet |
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A Fire in the Sky | Jason Voight (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | First You Cry | David Towers (Character) | - | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The War Between the Tates | Professor Brian Tate (Character) | - | 1977 |
68% |
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Breakheart Pass | Governor Richard Fairchild (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | A Girl Named Sooner | R.J. "Mac" McHenry (Character) | - | 1975 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Shootout in a One-Dog Town | Zack Wells (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Honky-Tonk | Candy Johnson (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nightmare | Howard Faloon (Character) | - | 1974 |
No Score Yet |
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The Man Called Noon | Noon (Character) | - | 1973 |
8% |
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Jonathan Livingston Seagull | Father (Voice) | - | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Double Indemnity | Walter Neff (Character) | - | 1973 |
82% |
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Dirty Money | Simon (Character) | $48.0K | 1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Footsteps | Paddy O'Connor (Character) | - | 1972 |
20% | No Score Yet | Doctors' Wives | Dr. Peter Brennan (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet |
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Catlow | Cowan (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deserter | Major Wade Brown (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Red Sky at Morning | Frank Arnold (Character) | - | 1971 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Thief | Neal Wilkinson (Character) | - | 1971 |
86% |
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Marooned | Jim Pruett (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Midas Run | Mike Warden (Character) | - | 1969 |
No Score Yet |
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Star! | Richard Aldrich (Character) | - | 1968 |
96% |
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Wait Until Dark | Mike Talman (Character) | - | 1967 |
85% |
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The Sand Pebbles | Captain Collins (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet |
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Made in Paris | Herb Stone (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Long, Lost Life of Edward Small | Edward Smalley (Character) | - | 1966 |
No Score Yet |
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John Goldfarb, Please Come Home | John Goldfarb (Character) | - | 1965 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Barricade on the Big Black | James (Character) | - | 1957 |
No Score Yet |
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Over-Exposed | Russell Bassett (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
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Our Miss Brooks | Walter Denton (Character) | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet |
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The Pride of St. Louis | Paul Dean (Character) | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet |
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It Grows on Trees | Ralph Bowen (Character) | - | 1952 |
TV
Credit | ||||
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No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Real McCoys | Luke McCoy (Character) | 1957-1963 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Judging Amy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2000-2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Chicago Hope | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1999 |
75% | No Score Yet | Gabriel's Fire | Mitch O'Hannon (Character) | 1991-1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | It Takes Two | Dr. Sam Quinn (Character) | 1982-1983 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Centennial | Col. Frank Skimmerhorn (Character) | 1978-1979 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Rockford Files | Director | 1978 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | All's Fair | Richard C. Barrington (Character) | 1976-1977 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Carol Burnett Show | Guest | 1973 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | Guest | 1971-1972 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | What's My Line? | Guest | 1968 |
No Score Yet | 88% | The Andy Griffith Show | Director | 1963-1964 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deputy | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Cheyenne | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1957 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Father Knows Best | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Our Miss Brooks | Walter Denton (Character) | 1952-1956 |
No Score Yet | 97% | I Love Lucy | Arthur Morton (Guest Star) | 1952 |